With Google revealing that it will provide the promised seven years of Android and security updates for the Pixel 8, Samsung is apparently looking to improve its own offerings.

At the Samsung Developer Conference, SamMobile interviewed Shin-Chul Baik, principal engineer and technical program manager for the security team at Samsung's Mobile eXperience division. According to the site, he revealed that the company is "actively discussing" extending the five-year security updates it already provides.

Given the number of different smartphones Samsung manufactures each year, this could be a huge undertaking. According to the site, Samsung currently updates over 1 billion devices each month, with over 150 devices receiving monthly, quarterly, or bi-annual updates.

Beyond five years, of course, that means six, seven, or even eight years, surpassing Google. Currently, the only company offering such a commitment is Fairphone, which is committed to sustainability.

While it may not affect Tom's Guide readers who upgrade their phones every one to two years, the step toward longer product support could be significant for the industry as a whole.

Not only would a longer, safer life for smartphones make them even more sustainable, but it could also help the used market. One of the things that makes buying a 5 year old phone on Ebay today a bad idea is the security risk - with the promised security updates, it is no longer such a big concern.

However, there are three caveats to SamMobile's report: first, this is currently just an ambition; second, the company is not "actively considering" the possibility of a new mobile phone. First, "under active consideration" is not the same as action, so we'll have to wait and see if the proposal is put into action.

Even if they are put into action, the second thing to watch is how they are implemented. After all, the current five-year security update only applies to "some Galaxy devices," and the plan could apply only to flagships with more powerful hardware. Frankly, it is the low-end devices that will benefit the most from the longer shelf life. If someone has the money to buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra today, they can afford to upgrade tomorrow.

Finally, as SamMobile points out at the end of the report, this only applies to security updates, and there is no mention of extending the Android OS or One UI update period beyond the current four years.

Even with these caveats, this is great news. If a company with as many phones as Samsung is sending out each year can look into this issue, it should put pressure on other companies to follow suit. That can only be a good thing.